Modern surgical techniques which are relatively non-invasive have been recently developed for diagnosing and correcting damage to the interior structure of body parts, e.g., bone joints. Among the most common of these modern surgical techniques is arthroscopy, which can be used for examining the interior structure of a body joint, for example, a knee, in order to diagnose maladies of the joint. In other words, arthroscopy permits viewing the internal structure of a body joint without requiring conventional and relatively invasive surgery on the joint. If required, relatively non-invasive corrective surgery can be performed in conjunction with arthroscopic examination techniques to repair joint damage which is discovered during the examination.
Arthroscopic examination typically involves inserting a probe into the joint to be examined. The probe assembly has an imaging device attached to it, and the imaging device is in turn connected to a video display for generating a picture of the interior structure of the joint. Consequently, the operator of the arthroscope is able to view, in real-time, the interior structure of the joint as the probe is inserted into the joint. By viewing the internal structure of the joint, a diagnosis of the joint's potential maladies can be made and appropriate treatment prescribed.
It is the case that existing arthroscopes require support equipment that is relatively large and bulky and is typically used in an operating room environment. Consequently, these arthroscopes cannot be easily moved from one location to another, as may occasionally be required in a medical establishment. Furthermore, arthroscopes which require sizable support equipment are ordinarily expensive devices, and their relatively high cost can make arthroscopic examination economically prohibitive for some patients. The present invention recognizes that an arthroscope need not necessarily require large and expensive support equipment and that there is a need to provide an arthroscope which can be used in a Doctor's office for diagnosis of a joint injury. Further, there is a recognized need to provide an arthroscope with a sufficiently small disposable probe so that only a local anesthetic is necessary.
Additionally, the probes of existing arthroscopes are typically reusable devices and must accordingly be sterilized before each use, in order to eliminate the possibility of infecting the patient with a contaminated probe. Unfortunately, the possibility remains that a reusable probe may not be effectively sterilized and can accordingly remain septic, or that a properly sterilized probe could become septic in the time period between sterilization and use of the probe. The present invention recognizes that an arthroscope can be provided which uses a non-reusable disposable probe to substantially reduce the likelihood of transmitting infections.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arthroscope which is portable and hand-held. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arthroscope which has a disposable probe that is insertable into a body joint for generating a real-time picture of the joint. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arthroscope which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and comparatively easy and cost-effective to use.